To combat prostitution and sex trafficking within the county, local law enforcement and collaborating agencies have targeted consumer-level demand for commercial sex, which provides the revenue stream driving all commercial sex and trafficking. For example, in September 2016, over 20 people were arrested in a Washington State Patrol web-based reverse sting in Thurston County. Undercover detectives posted decoy ads online, posing as a mother seeking to sexually exploit her three underage children by arranging meetings with respondents. Many arrests were made at a local apartment complex in Tumwater. One child sex predator was arrested in Tumwater after driving from his home in Moses Lake to meet three underage children for sexual abuse. He had responded to one of the decoy ads posted by detectives, of an “incest family,” where undercover detectives posed as a mother with a 13-year-old son and two daughters, ages 6 and 11. The man was charged in Thurston County Superior Court on two counts of first-degree attempted rape of a child, one count of second-degree attempted rape of a child, and one count of commercial sexual abuse of a minor. The other suspects faced attempted rape of a child charges because they arrived at the home having arranged to have sex with a child. One offender was arrested after agreeing to meet an 11-year-old girl and sexually exploit her in exchange for money. The suspects represent a range of ages and backgrounds. Another offender was arrested after agreeing to meet sexually exploit all three children, ages 13, 11 and 6 in exchange for money. The majority of the suspects had no prior criminal history. Most of the suspects have appeared in Thurston County Superior Court and all have been prohibited from contacting minors. The case was investigated with assistance from the Washington State Patrol’s (WSP) Missing and Exploited Children Task Force (MECTF), Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, Olympia Police Department, Tumwater Police Department, Lacey Police Department, Shelton Police Department, Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Washington State Dept. of Corrections, Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, FBI, Washington State Office of the Attorney General, Thurston County Narcotic Task Force,  U. S. Army, Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. The identities of arrested offenders were included in reports by local media outlets.